


Espresso grounds and ashes

by lesbianbean



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Developing Relationship, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Pre Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-18 08:21:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21941074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbianbean/pseuds/lesbianbean
Summary: Gerry ran into a handsome blonde stranger looking for the same Leitner as he did. It seemed rude to just part ways after they destroyed it, so he halfheartedly asked if he wanted to get coffee. This is what happened next.
Relationships: Gerard Keay/Michael Shelley
Comments: 2
Kudos: 72





	Espresso grounds and ashes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [seekingjets](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seekingjets/gifts).



> Wen is a luna moth, and her name means "literature."  
> Oakley is a sable, and his name means "clearing."   
> Understanding someone else's daemon is an indication that you and the other person are closely connected.

The coffee shop’s walls were painted dark brown and lined with bookshelves packed with leather-bound volumes, which probably hadn’t been read in years. It seemed a little inappropriate given what they had just been through. The good news was that the shop seemed to be quiet. Gerry looked down at the foam on top of his espresso.

_ “If you’re not going to say it, I will. This night has been fucking wild.” _

Wen perched next to the tiny mug. She looked tired, and Gerry felt a tug of worry in his stomach. He gently, gently stroked her back, and her wings gave the tiniest flutter. 

His companion nodded at him. “She’s pretty.”

_ “Pretty?” _ Wen sounded indigent. Gerry pulled the sugar cubes across the table and offered one to her, and she huffed. 

“Is your name really Michael?”

Michael laughed brightly. “If I was going to make up a name I’d come up with something better.” He gestured at Gerry’s face. “How’s the--”

“Oh, it’s fine.” Gerry reached up to touch the bruise on his cheek. “I’ve had worse. You were the one who got slammed into the wall with extreme prejudice.”

“Pfft.” Michael waved his hand casually. His daemon, a sand-colored sable, glared at him. Gerry wished he knew what they were saying to each other. “I have to say, it was very impressive how you got the lighter fluid at that trajectory. I've never seen a body go up that fast.” 

“Well, you, um, certainly were quick with the knife after I got the Leitner away from that guy. I really thought we were goners for a minute there. How did you even learn to do that?” 

“Honestly, I was only about fifty percent sure that it would work.” Michael and his daemon gave each other identical shrugs. 

That was a less than useful answer to the question. “What were you even doing at the Underground? Or are you just a preppy looking fan of gothic rock?” 

“Oh, not at all.” Michael shuddered, as if the very thought offended him. “I work for the Magnus Institute.” 

“Uh-huh.” 

He heard his mother’s voice in his head. “ _ Those posh wankers. I’m worth twelve of them and they damn well know it, Gerald _ . _ ”  _

“I’ve heard of them.”

“Oh?” Michael smiled, flashing irritatingly shiny white teeth. “What have you heard?”

“That you’re a posh organization that investigates the supernatural?”

Michael laughed again. “Posh? God, I wish. If it were posh, maybe we could afford a decent coffee maker.” He stroked his daemon’s head. “ So how did a goth learn about the works of Jurgen Leitner?”

Gerry snorted. “All us goths know about Leitner. He’s our patron saint.”

“Really?”

“No. That’s called sarcasm, have you ever heard it?”

“Occasionally.” Michael took a bite of his danish pastry, which he’d cut into neat triangular pieces. “This is delicious. Do you want some?”

“I’m good, thanks.” It looked delicious, but something about eating off of his plate seemed too intimate.

“Do goths not eat sweet food?”

“I love sweet food.”

“Then have a bite.” Michael raised an eyebrow. 

_ “The prep is flirting _ .” Wen looked up from her sugar cube. 

“Shut up.” 

Michael tutted. “You know, Oakley tells me it’s rude to tell someone to shut up.”

Gerry nodded at his daemon. “Her name is Oakley?”

“His.” Michael scratched the daemon’s ears. “I know it’s rare, but I feel like it fits with us. Gender is...tricky.”

Gerry nodded in agreement. “God, isn’t that the truth. Only thing trickier is our friend Mister Leitner.” 

“So are you going to tell me how you learned about Leitner’s books?” Michael put his cappuccino mug down on the table with a  _ clink _ . Gerry opened his mouth and he raised his hand in warning. “And I mean really tell me.”

“My mother is obsessed with these fucking books. And once you’re initiated into the family business it’s difficult as hell to leave.” 

Michael’s eyes widened. “Did she--”

“Not the spooky kind of difficult! The regular difficult kind of difficult. The ‘yeah, it’s fucked up but my choices are limited difficult.’ ”

Michael’s daemon leaned closer to him, obviously saying something, and he half-laughed in response. “What happened tonight was pretty difficult too.”

“You’re the one who was toast until I saved you. And you’re not much better, you work a the fucking Magnus Institute.”

“Well--” Michael nodded. “You got me there.” 

“It’s addictive, isn’t it?”

Gerry sighed. “Yeah. I tried to run away. But I couldn’t stand--” Wen landed on his shoulder, her silky wing brushing his cheek. “Look, are you ever at the library, or out for a walk in the park, and you look around and see everyone going to work or walking their dogs or whatever, and everything is perfectly normal, and then you realize that like--one of the dogs has too many teeth, or the policeman who gave you a dirty look is watching people just a bit too intently, or there’s a door that you  _ know _ wasn’t there before?” He realized he was rambling and drank the last of the espresso, which was cold and tasted gritty. Discussions like this inevitably ended with the other person giving him a horrified expression and hastily leaving. 

“You know I decided to quit my job at the Magnus Institute a year ago? Wrote up the letter of resignation and everything. But I couldn’t do it. I’m not sure whether it was, you know, something spooky, or if I was making excuses because I didn’t want to do it. This job...” Michael sighed. “I’m addicted.” 

Gerry stared at him, trying to find the words. Wen spoke first. “So do we.”

Michael nodded. “I thought you might.”

It took a moment before they both realized what had happened. “You understood her?”

Michael nodded. “Yeah. Can you--Oakley, say something.”

“Something.” 

Gerry snorted. “I guess he’s the sarcastic one out of the two of you.” 

“Always has been.” Michael grinned at him. “And you understood him.”

“Yeah.” There was a moment where they just looked at each other. 

“Hey.” The barista waved from behind the counter. “You two want anything else?” She gave them an odd look, and Gerry remembered that they were both covered with dust and dirt. He probably didn’t look very different from how he usually did--his clothes were usually some variation of shabby--but Michael, in his pink polo shirt and tweed pants, was very clearly the kind of person who was usually immaculate.

The two of them both shook their heads. The odd quiet they shared was over, but they felt like they’d crossed some kind of threshold. 

“Maybe we should start meeting regularly?” Michael stroked Oakley’s head. “We can talk about the jobs we can’t leave and coordinate when we’re looking for Leitners.”

Gerry stared at him for a moment. “Okay. I’m warning you, I hate most movies, and I’m not going to any hipster place where there are succulents or they draw shapes on the drink.”

“Why do you think--” Michael looked down at his outfit and sighed. “Okay, fair. In return, can I request no more goth bars?”

Gerry snorted. “After tonight? It’ll be a cold day in hell before I go to one of those again.”

**Author's Note:**

> Happy holidays to seekingjets!! You are a wonderful friend and person, and I'm so grateful for all the conversations I've had with you <3


End file.
